1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a job execution apparatus and method that executes a job by reading stored information stored in an external storage, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, when such external storage is connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Conventionally, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-127508, etc., proposes a printing system. According to this system, when a memory card including print setting information and an image data file is inserted in order to print the image data stored in the memory card, the contents of the image data are read and the image is off-line printed under the specified settings.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-90632 proposes a printing method. In this method, at the time of setting of a print job, image data is read from a memory card. This image and its job number are displayed. The input of the number of prints is accepted while they are being displayed. After the input, when a selection button is pushed, the identification information and the print number of the image on display are set up as one print job. When an execution button is pushed, the set print job is written in a memory card, the image data and the print job are read from the memory card, and the image is printed in order of the job number.
However, in any publications including the aforementioned publications disclosing conventional systems, there was no disclosure on how to treat a read job in cases where a job is stored in a memory card and when this job is read a job execution portion is executing another job.
Moreover, complicated operation was required until the execution of the job.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.